Unspoken Words
by Kitale
Summary: Your stomach freezes, while your legs go to jelly. There’s one single thud of your heart as you count the minutes until the police break down the door. It’s a terrible thing to take someone hostage, but is it really a crime when you're saving a life? B
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones.

**Summary:** The pit of your stomach freezes, while your legs go to jelly. There's one single thud of your heart as you count down the minutes until the police break down the door. It's a terrible thing to take someone hostage, but is it really a crime when you're saving someone's life? B&B

**A/N: **Okay, so I have not abandoned my other story Among the Hiddenand I promise I'll update soon! Now, this story (I think) is original. At least I haven't read anything like this on the Bones site… Well anywho, it's different, but please give it a chance.

**Unspoken Words**

**Chapter 1 - Preface -**

The pit of your stomach freezes, while your legs go to jelly. There's one single thud of your heart as you count down the minutes until the police break down the door. It's a terrible thing to take someone hostage, but is it really a crime when you're saving someone's life?

Temperance Brennan, deranged from sleep and utter madness, held a revolver in her shaking hands. That and the four-year-old in her arms were the _only _things keeping the police from knocking down the door. She was not going to hurt the children in any way, but the police officers didn't need to know that. In fact, she was doing exactly the opposite and for some odd reason no one could seem to understand that. Of course, the oldest child's latest relapse had given everyone a scare, but Brennan had the money, and yet they were still going to let _her_ die.

She shuddered as she slowly turned to the eldest child. She was so tiny and still on the hospital bed, and yet Brennan couldn't let her die. A tube feeds down her throat, a machine helping her breathe. It wasn't supposed to end like this. It wasn't supposed to go down like this… not like this. What would Booth think of her now? Would he think she was a hero, or just utterly insane? Hadn't it been Booth who told her that miracles happen everyday? And though she didn't believe in them, she found herself wishing that, for once, luck would be on her side. It was a simple wish, but utterly pointless, for she had found out a long time ago that the good guys never win.

All her life, she couldn't grasp her mind around a psycho's logic, but with each passing second she wondered if she was, in fact, going insane. _No. _She was doing the right thing, and she had no doubt in her mind that Booth would have done the same thing if it was Parker lying on the bed.

A soft knock on the hallway window brought her back to reality. She had purposely left the blinds open so she could see out into the hallway. It was the only way in and the only way out, but she could see everyone and their every move. She could see the police with their guns ready in hand, she could see the foster care mother shouting frantically to get her 'baby' out, she could see nurses and doctors running around, and finally, she could see Sweets who was knocking on the window for the one hundredth time today.

Brennan shook her head no, but Sweets pointed behind him, and that's when she saw him. Everything seemed to freeze as she locked eyes with him. Forcefully, she kept her eyes on him and she could see the one question written across his face: _Why? _She had an answer, but would he really understand? Subconsciously, she found herself nodding 'yes' and Booth made his way towards the door. She watched as he spoke to the head police officer and then to her amazement they stepped back, dropping their guns, but not their stance. Within seconds she unlocked the door for him, but only for him. He entered the room, locked it, and then closed the blinds.

"They want me to talk to you... alone."

It took all her strength to hold him at gun point and to click off the safety.

"Bones, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Booth. I can't let her die."

"I know."

* * *

**Please tell me what you guys think! Should I continue??**

**Remember this chapter is just a preface, so the next chapter will be like 2 weeks earlier. It'll explain what's going on. **

**Anywho, I know it's different and Brennan seems a little ooc, but you'll find out as the story goes on. Please review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Monday –**

**_Two weeks earlier_….**

If she would have known what was going to happen in two weeks time, maybe, she wouldn't have knocked on that door. If only she would have known that she was going to take two kids hostage and hold Booth at gun point, maybe then, she would have called in 'sick'. Maybe, she would have told Booth to hand over the case to someone else because it would be too painful for her emotions to handle, but she did none of these things because she couldn't see the future and neither could her partner. So when she knocked on that door - on that unusually cold and rainy day – Temperance Brennan had no idea that she was heading straight for hell.

"Let me do the talking. kay, Bones?"

Booth's voice actually startled her. She hadn't been where he thought she was. She might have physically been standing next to him, but mentally she had been floating, hovering in her brain, watching her past of the poor, sad, broken girl who she once was. She turned to look at him, and she silently wondered if he could see the dilemma processing behind her blue eyes. They were rich, glossy, and almost crystal clear – Just waiting to be shattered so her past could be spelled out in an agonizing river of tears.

"Bones," she heard his rich, monotone voice come again. "You okay?"

She hadn't really heard him, but somehow she found herself replying, "I'm fine, Booth." It was a lie and she could tell that Booth knew this. She could feel the weight of his worry pressing down on her. Who knew that the words you never got around to saying could settle so heavy?

"Hello, may I help you?"

Brennan looked up, a woman no more than thirty was peeking her blond head out the door. Her eyes darted frantically from her to Booth, and then the woman let out a gasp as she processed the information in her head.

Booth flashed his badge. "We would like to ask you a few question, Mrs. Stone."

--

--

"Danni, was only here a week."

"Why?" came Brennan's harsh tone, and though it nearly broke his heart to see her like this, he sent her a glare that kept her mouth shut.

"She was such a good child, but I couldn't afford another one. You know how expensive kids can be."

Booth nodded, but he couldn't get past the woman's uncanny make-up. If this woman couldn't afford another child, then where did she get the money to afford those false eyelashes, that glittery blush? It wasn't just the make-up that was ticking him off – it was everything. From the plasma high-definition television to the intricate vase sitting on the coffee table or even to the two story house itself. How could this woman afford all of this, but not another child? He processed this over and over again in his head until he was almost positive that his thoughts were being spoken out loud – and they were, but it wasn't him who had spoken them.

"Mrs. Stone, you obviously have the money. I'm sure you could have afforded one more child. Don't you?" He mentally smacked himself as his partner's rudeness rung throughout the room, building their unwelcoming to an even higher degree.

"Dr. Brennan," Mrs. Stone replied calmly. "Do you have any children?" When Brennan didn't answer an exultant grin tugged at the corner's of Mrs. Stone's crimson lips. "That's what I thought."

Feeling the tension in the room beginning to shatter, he quickly jumped in, saving all of them from the outcome. "Mrs. Stone. How many foster children live with you at the moment?"

"Two. Kate and Abby."

"Are they here now? We will need to question them." Booth ignored Brennan's glare.

"Agent Booth, Abby is only four, a perfect angel," Mrs. Stone smiled a full hearted smile. "She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"And Kate?"

Mrs. Stone's smile vanished, immediately replaced with a frown and a gleaming look in her eye. "Let's just say Kate's more… complicated. If it wasn't for her being Abby's older sister, I would have giving Kate up months ago."

--

--

_I have known that I was going to die since age five. The doctors predicted that I was going to die within five years. I defied the odds and it's been nine. I'm still breathing. Danni is not. _

_Why do I feel like this is my fault? _

--

--

"Did you even _look _at her Booth?" Brennan asked, enraged that he would even begin to take Mrs. stone's side when he really should be on hers. He had told her he understood. He had told her he knew how hard this case would be for her, and yet look whose side he was taking. She scoffed angrily as she pushed the food around on her plate with her fork. He didn't understand her. He said he did, but how could he understand the feeling of being thrown away, unwanted from the world like a piece of garage? How could he understand the feeling of losing both parents, and knowing that they were not dead, but had willingly left you? From the moment she was put into the foster care system she didn't talk, eat, or sleep for days. Every night she would wake up in a cold sweat screaming for her parents who would never come. Every day she would walk down the halls of her high school facing false rumors and cruel hatred from the other students. She had been known as the girl whose parents left her. And as she grew older she had learned from life experience that there were no such thing as a happy ending. How could Booth even remotely understand what she had gone through?

"Bones, I'm always on your side. You should know that," he told her softly, gently caressing her hand with his.

It was a simple gesture, but unspoken words could only go so far and she sharply pulled her hand away from his. As soon as she did it, she saw the hurt in his chocolate eyes. "I just don't understand why you need to question, Kate." It was a lie. She knew exactly why he needed to question her, but it didn't make her any less thrilled about it.

"I have to, Bones."

"She didn't do it."

He raised an eyebrow as he brought a fork to his mouth and tasted the apple pie he had been dying for. "How do you know? You haven't even met her yet."

_Because I can relate, _she wanted to say, but instead she went with,"I just do." She could feel the painful stabs of Booth's questioning gaze on her, but she refused to meet his eyes. It amazed her how easily she would unravel when she was with Booth – she hated him for that. Stubbornly, she dropped her eyes.

"Bones," he reached out from across the diner table and placed his hand on hers again. "You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

She turned to look out the window, losing herself in a thousand thoughts. She hesitated, but clamped her mouth shut and locked herself away from the world – away from him.

"Bones, I know something is bothering you." he tried again.

"And how would you know that?" She pushed the food around on her plate some more. She silently wondered why she had ordered it in the first place – she wasn't even hungry.

"Unspoken words can tell you a lot about a person."

"And where did you learn that?" She smirked, "Sweets?"

"No. You."

Brennan bit her lip as she fought the urge to bicker with him. She had never taught him that. She finally looked up, but she refused to say anything. They stayed frozen in that position for a dreadfully amount of time, and she knew that if she stared into his eyes any longer she would simply break, telling him everything. So, Brennan was thankful when she heard her name being called, breaking them from their spell.

"Dr. Brennan?"

She had never seen this child before in her life, she was sure of that, and yet this child looked at her like she had known her forever. "Yes?"

A false smile lit her face, but Brennan could see the fear flash within the child's entrancing green eyes. The girl fidgeted as she played with the tattered edges of the sweat-shirt that was two sizes to big, and for a brief moment Brennan wondered if she stared long enough this girl would disappear.

"My name's Kate," she said it simply, as if she knew they were looking for her.

"Kate?" Booth asked shocked. "Please sit down."

Kate hesitated as she adjusted the green beanie on her head. It completely covered her hair, but this girl didn't seem to mind the cold napping down her bare neck. Slowly, Brennan locked eyes with this child, and in that moment, Brennan knew something was wrong. She had never been good at reading people, but it was as if the freckles on Kate's checks spelled out her lifetime story, screaming for help. However, instead of the plea she was expecting, this girl, no more than thirteen, raised her wrist out to Booth and with a quivering lip she spoke, "It was my fault. I killed Danni Caldwell."

--

**Present day **

Booth stared at the barrel of gun, which was currently being occupied by his deranged partner. He could see the anxiety spreading across her face, the fear in her eyes, and he silently noted the way her hands shook. Never in his life had he seen her so confused, insane. This wasn't the Temperance Brennan he knew. This wasn't his Bones.

His eyes wandered over to the hospital bed, which was currently being occupied by two sleeping girls. In that moment, he realized that he would have done the same thing if it was Parker lying in that bed, but he also knew that he never would have gotten himself into this situation to begin with.

"Bones, put the gun down. We both know that you're not going to shoot me." She eyed him, suspiciously, and for a moment, he wondered if she was actually considering it, just to prove him wrong.

She glared at him, knowing full well that he was right. "You're right, Booth." He relaxed at those words. "I'm not going to shoot _you_."

To his horror she pulled the gun away from him and placed it firmly against her temple. It was just a threat, he could tell, but nevertheless he quickly told her, "There are no bullets in that gun. We both know that, Bones."

"Want to bet on it?"

He didn't.

* * *

**Okay, so you're probably thinking that Brennan would **_**never**_** do that, but I have my reasons! You'll find out later. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones.

**A/N: I **_**love**_** Jodi Picoult's books, so I'm going to use a lot of her quotes in this particular story. So if you read something that sounds touching or amazing then it's probably not mine. Just wanted to let you guys know that.**

**Chapter 3**

**---**

_It takes two people to make a lie work: the person who tells it, and the one who believes it. And from the look on the F.B.I guy's face I can tell that he believes me, but from the look on the Doctor's face I can tell that I'm failing miserably. _

_--_

Booth glanced out the corner of his eye to where his partner was sitting. Her eyebrow was raised and she had that dazed look in her eyes as the gears of her brain turned inside her. He wanted to know what she was thinking, so badly it hurt. Was she angry? Confused? Hurt? All of the above? She had always been a mystery to him. Was that the reason why he was so overprotective of her? He knew that she locked herself and her emotions away from the world - even him, but he had always felt the need to be with her every minute of the day, just in case she would break. He wondered how many hours it had been since he'd last heard her talk out loud. Of course, she was sitting next to him, but she hadn't spoken a word since Kate had confessed to the murder of Danni. He silently wondered, if you didn't use your voice, ever, would it shrivel up and dry away? Was there a natural selection involved in not speaking up? He hoped not. If he didn't hear her voice ever again... he would surely go deaf. For what was the point of hearing if he couldn't hear her sing song voice?

Kate's cough caused him to look across the interrogation table. He focused his eyes just over her head, so it appeared like he was looking at her, when in reality he was staring at the chipped paint on the wall behind her. Kids were always the hardest, and this child's piercing stare was not helping the matter.

"How did you kill her?"

Booth's heart broke as the words flew out of his partner's mouth. If he hadn't spent every hour with her for the past three years he wouldn't have been able to detect that sadness in her voice. Of course, she hid it so well, but the pain was still there and it It hurt him to no end that he wouldn't be able to fix it.

"I shot her," Kate told them automatically.

"Where?" Brennan questioned again.

Kate stuttered. "I… her head."

Brennan remained silent once again, and Booth wondered how long it would be until he heard her sweet voice again. Sighing, he forced himself to look into the child's piercing green eyes. They cut threw him like a knife, but he didn't dare look away. He had a million of questions to ask her, but the only one he found himself verbalizing was, "Why?"

But before she could answer, Brennan interrupted with another question, "Where were you standing when you shot her?"

Kate adjusted the green beanie over her head for the tenth time. It completely covered her hair, and Booth silently wondered why she hadn't taken it off. Kate hesitated, thinking the answer over. "I was standing in front of her."

A smile lit Brennan's face, and she nodded. "You are free to go."

"What?" Booth _and _Kate asked at the same time.

"She didn't do it," she stated calmly.

"Yes I did."

"No you didn't," Brennan insisted. "The angle in which the bullet entered Danni's skull was approximately thirty degrees. You would have had to be sitting or crouching down, but you said you were standing directly in front of her. Your story doesn't –"

Kate's eyes became wide with panic as she interrupted the Doctor. "I…I lied. I was sitting. I shot Danni. I killed her.'

Brennan's eyes grew cross. "No you didn't."

"You weren't there," Kate snapped, she shot up out of her seat, knocking the chair over as she stood.

Booth squinted his eyes in confusion as he tried to process the information in his head. Why would she want to take the blame for something she didn't do? His mind began to swarm with possibilities, but before he could think of one he saw Kate sway slightly. He reached out to catch her, but as quickly as she had stood up, she fell to the floor, puking blood.

--

--

Brennan felt the walls of the waiting room beginning to cave in around her. Her shirt was stained with blood, Kate's blood, but it didn't faze her in the slightest bit. Booth said it was probably best that they didn't stay, but Kate's ghosted face was now imprinted in her memory forever. She couldn't leave, not yet. She _had_ to see if Kate was going to be okay. However, in reality she knew it wasn't. The Doctor had told her that Kate had another relapse… a grave one and the chances of survival were slim.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. She cursed herself. She should have known. She should have seen the signs. Fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, very thin, infection. She should have known it the second she saw Kate. Was this the reason Kate took the blame for Danni's death? Did she _want_ to die?

She watched the clock like a hawk, each second felt like an hour and the idea of not knowing anything sent her into a world of hysterics. She wasn't sure why she was so upset. She didn't even know the child, but a part of her felt like _she _should care. Mrs. Stone obliviously didn't care enough to be here for her foster child's latest relapse, so a part of her felt like she should be the one that cared. Maybe, it was because a part of her wished that someone had cared enough for her, so many years ago.

"Doctor…?" Brennan shot out of her seat as a woman in a white coat sped pass the waiting room doors.

"Marrow."

Brennan frowned. _Of course_. "Is Kate… is she okay?"

Dr. Marrow took in Brennan's blood stained shirt. "And you are…?"

"Dr. Brennan… I brought Kate in."

"Oh yes of course. What can I do for you Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan wanted to smack the smile off the Doctor's face. How could she be this happy when there was a girl, no more than thirteen, dying? "Can, can I see her?"

The Doctor's eyes grow suspicious. "I'm sorry, but you have to be –"

"I am… she's my niece," Brennan lied, and it felt good.

"I wasn't aware Mrs. Stone had a sister…"

Brennan nodded, but kept her eyes focused. "I don't live around here."

Dr. Marrow didn't move and for a moment Brennan wondered if she had been caught lying, but to her satisfaction Dr. Marrow nodded and Brennan followed her down the hall and into Kate's room.

--

--

**Present Day**

"Bones, please put down the gun."

"No. It's the only thing keeping them out." She huffed angrily, pointing to the window that gave a view out into the hallway.

Booth eyed the gun that was placed firmly against the side of her head. Desperately he tried to count how many bullets he had fired out of that gun. He could have sworn that it was empty now, but it was a bet he wasn't willing to take. Sighing he slumped down in a plastic chair across from her. He fixed his gaze on her, not daring himself to look away. It didn't take a genius to know that his partner was empty inside, drained of the only hope and faith she had left. He suddenly knew that if she died, he would die. Maybe not immediately, maybe not with the same blinding rush of pain, but it would happen. You couldn't live for very long without a heart.

"Please don't look at me like that," her voice brought him back to reality.

"Like what?" he asked softly.

"T…that look. The one you always give me," she blinked.

"Why?" he wasn't sure if he was hurt that she wanted him to stop or pleased that she had notice.

She dropped her eyes shyly, avoiding his question all together. He followed her gaze to the hospital bed where Kate and Abby laid sleeping. A tube fed down Kate's throat, the machine helping her breathe. She was so still and lifeless on the hospital bed and Booth suddenly had doubt about Brennan's latest plan. "I'm sorry, Booth," it came out so soft he hardly heard her. "Do you hate me?"

"Never." It was the truth. He had loved her since the day he met her, and it would _never_ be the other way around - no matter what she got herself into.

"I...I think I have gone over to the dark side," she smirked, but it wasn't even remotely funny.

"Bad is not an absolute, but a relative term," he tried to reason with her. He just wanted her to put the gun down. "Ask the robber who used the cash he stole to feed his infant; the rapist who was sexually abused as a child; the kidnapper who truly believed he was saving a life. And just because you break the law doesn't mean you have intentionally crossed the line into evil. Sometimes the line creeps up on you, and before you know it, you're standing on the other side."

"I don't know what that means, Booth. What line? All you talk about is lines," she was nearly shouting now, her voiced cracked and it broke his heart. "Are you talking about the line between you and me, or the line between right and wrong?"

He silently wondered if she could see the pain flashing across his eyes. Couldn't she see that she wasn't the only one hurting? Couldn't she see that what she was doing was effecting him too? It took him a moment to find his voice, and once he did, it was barely above a whisper. "That line – the line between right and wrong – it crept up on you."

Her eyes grew cross and she tightened her hold on the gun. Her stance was strong, but her voice quivered as she spoke, "But, I'm doing the right thing."

He sighed. "I know, Bones. I know."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I've been kind of angry at the show. (Don't shoot me) Expect for three or four episodes, I really don't like this season at all. XD. Ever since Zack left, I've kind of been bummed and I think the show as gotten really silly. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it's not as good as past seasons*Sigh* But on a positive note the last two episode were SOOOO good. Awww poor Sweets. Loved the title of his book. ****Those two episodes got me back into the swing of things. =). Yeah! **

**:Don't own Bones or any of Jodi Picoult's quotes, including the first paragraph of this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter 4**

--

_Let me tell you what you feel like when you know you are ready to die. You sleep a lot, and when you wake up the very first thought in your head is that you wish you could go back to bed. You go entire days without eating, because food is a commodity that keeps you here. You read the same page a hundred times. You rewind your life like a videocassette and see the things that make you weep, things that make you pause, but nothing that makes you want to play it forward. You forget to comb your hair, to shower, to dress. And then one day, when you make the decision that you have enough energy left in you to do this one, last, monumental thing, there comes a peace. Suddenly you are counting moments as you haven't for months. Suddenly you have a secret that makes you smile, that makes people say you look wonderful, although you feel like a shell-brittle and capable of cracking into a thousand pieces_

_And I wonder now if this is what Danni had felt like. _

----

It is the things you cannot see coming that are strong enough to kill you. Brennan had been in a hospital many times before and had seen kids of all ages cooped up in one of those small rooms, but for some reason Kate looked smaller than the rest. Her face was ghost white and for one startling moment, Brennan had a horrible imagine of a child corpse that just might as well been Kate flashing through her mind. Shuddering slightly, she bit her lip and forced herself to sit down as gently as she could.

"What are you doing here?" The voice was as light as a feather, and Brennan had to strain her neck to hear.

"I should be asking you the same question."

Despite, the situation, Kate laughed. "I think we both know why I'm here." At that Brennan frowned, but Kate ignored it. "So how'd you get in?"

"I told your doctor that you're my niece."

"I read your books," Kate told her, changing the subject. "I like them, _Aunt _Brennan."

At that, Brennan smiled. "Thank you."

A smile lit her face as she silently looked around the room. "It's not so bad," Kate concluded.

Brennan frowned, wondering how a child could find something positive in a situation like this. "But it is," Brennan stated, trying to imagine what Kate would look like with the hair she had lost from chemo treatment. "That's why you lied."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "You don't –"

"I think I do understand," Brennan interjected. The girl licked her lips which were caked with blood. Another reason to look away. Another reason that reminded her of her past, but Brennan forced herself to withstand the child's pricing gaze. "People don't understand me… _us_."

It took a moment, but Kate eventually came to understand what she was talking about. "You were in the system." It wasn't a question or a statement, just a fact; just the truth.

Brennan nodded in the slightest bit. "I understand how it is. To not be wanted. To not be understood."

Kate was watching her intently with a suspicion she didn't know a child could possess. And as if she could read her mind, Kate questioned, "Why are you _really _here?"

Brennan eyed Kate in the hospital bed, the tubes and machines that were feeding out of her, keeping her alive. All of this was just a glimpse of her past. A past she had wanted to forget, but now that she was reliving it, she found that she couldn't turn away. Not this time. She didn't think it was best to tell Kate the whole story, so instead she shorten it down to a few words which held the truth and most importantly, her past. "I'm here," Brennan began, her eyes never faltering, "because, maybe, this is my second chance."

----

_She doesn't tell me anything more and I don't ask because I know she understands. _

_I smile at her and she gives a ghosted one back. _

_For the first time I feel like I belong. _

_Maybe, Danni was right. Maybe, everything does happen for a reason. _

_--__-- _

"Kate!" an adorable four-year-old ran into the room and launched herself into Kate's arms.

Brennan looked at the child's angel hair and wondered if this was the same color of Kate's hair before she lost it to chemo treatment. It was uncanny how much they resembled each other. Through their chestnut freckles, to their warm smile, and to even the very shape of their faces. There wasn't a doubt in Brennan's mind that they were sisters, the only difference was the color of their beautiful eyes. Kate's an entrancing green, the other, an alluring blue. They complemented each other in every way Russ and she had not.

"This is Abby," Kate introduced. "Abby, this is Dr. Brennan."

Abby smiled, and Brennan had to look away, for the child's crystal blue eyes were drilling holes into her soul. "Hi," came her soft voice and Brennan nodded at the young child.

"Why, hello,_ sister_."

Brennan turned toward the sinister voice and frowned. It was the same blond, rich woman she had interviewed earlier that day, and Brennan couldn't help but glare. Kate had been admitted into the hospital three hours ago, so what took this woman so long to get here?

"Mrs. Stone," she said, not even bothering to cover up her unwelcoming tone.

The woman placed both hands on her hips, pressed her crimson lips in a fine line, and eyed Brennan with disgust. "Dr. Marrow told me my sister was already here." She paused to smirk. "I wasn't even aware I had a sister."

Before Brennan could defend herself, Kate jumped to her rescue. "I asked her to stay with me."

Brennan stood to leave and waved to the two children on the bed. "I should get going."

The only thing remotely close to a goodbye was Abby saying, "When can Kate come home?"

Brennan was nearly out the door when she heard Mrs. Stone's cruel reply. "I don't know, Abby. I don't think insurance is going to cover this one."

----

By the time Brennan returned to her apartment it was nearly ten o'clock and before she even had the chance to open the door, she knew someone was there. Immediately, she went into 'defense' mood and she slowly pushed open her door, ready for a fight. The lights were on, her balcony door was open, and the apartment smelt of Chinese food. This could only mean one thing. Booth was here. Sighing heavily, she followed the delicious aroma out onto her balcony and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here?"

"You're late."

"I was working."

"You're lying."

She frowned, hating the fact that he knew her so well. "So?"

"How's Kate?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she told him stubbornly, but when he raised an eyebrow, she finally gave in. "She's fine."

"I wouldn't say leukemia is 'fine'."

"That's what I told her."

Booth chuckled and gestured towards the food lying on the table. "Help yourself."

She did and he smirked as she dug into the food. They were plunged into a comfortable silence. Booth liked this about them; how they could sit, saying nothing, and yet saying everything. They could pour their hearts out in everlasting peace through simple movements, thoughts. They didn't need words to articulate themselves. After all, they completed each other. Booth knew this, and he was just waiting around for her to realize this to.

It was then that a tail of light caught his eye and a smile lit his face. "Look," he shouted, pointing to the sky. "A shooting star." Something flashed across her eyes, a mix between awe and hatred.

"My friend use to tell me that every time you saw one it was a soul going to heaven," she told him sadly, like she was talking about a friend's funeral rather than a happy memory from the past. Her voice - it was so lifeless, full of pain and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her problems away.

"I like that," he told her.

"But then I found out that shooting stars are not stars at all. They're just rocks that enter the atmosphere and catch fire under friction."

"What's the fun in that?" He questioned. She shrugged and slowly, he leaned over to whisper in her ear, lingering a little longer than necessary, "But you can still wish on it. Can't you? What's stopping you?"

"Why? What you're wishing on is only a trail of debris," she told him bluntly.

He smirked at her logic, but quickly shook his head, dismissing her answer. "Don't think about it like that. Think about them as…angels – granting a wish to someone who cares."

"I don't –"

He interrupted her, "Just forget about all that science jumbo. If you could have one wish – hypothetically –what would you wish for?"

"Hypothetically, I don't believe in wishes."

He glared at her, and in a more intense tone, he repeated the question, "If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?" He watched as she stared up into the starry night sky. For a moment he thought that she was ignoring him, but to his shock she actually answered his question.

"Something I can't have," she whispered, losing herself in a thousand thoughts, not one of which Booth could guess. He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she had meant by it. By the sound of her voice he assumed that whatever it was, it was something that meant a lot to her. "But it doesn't matter," she added, recovering quickly from whatever it was she had been thinking about. "Wishes don't come true."

"Sure they do, but only if your wish is reasonable. You can't go wishing someone back from the dead… it's not possible," he told her so softly, she had to lean closer to hear him. "And when you make a wish it doesn't mean that it'll happen in the near future. It could happen within years. You just have to be patient."

"And why is that?"

"Because some wishes are harder to fulfill than others and they want it to be just perfect."

Her eyes grew cross, trying to understand his absurd opinion about stars. "And what do they – the people who grant them – get out of it?"

"A smile. A full-hearted smile."

"It seems like a lot for just a smile," she pointed out stubbornly.

He nodded, grinning softly at her. "You'd be surprised. A person would do a lot to make someone they love smile."

Despite herself, she smiled at him and he didn't hesitate to return that simple gesture.

--

--

**Present Day**

As it turned out, hell wasn't watching the people you love get hurt; it was coming in during the second act, when it was already too late to stop it from happening. Booth studied his partner who was sitting across from him. She was still holding that damn gun, and it took all of his strength to not rip it out of her hands. She hadn't said anything in the past couple of minutes and she was scarring him at her unresponsive form. It was then that he realized silence did have a sound.

"Bones…"

She huffed, wildly flinging the gun around. "Stop, Booth! Just stop!" she shouted at him. "I'm not leaving. I can't let her die!"

"And what do you think is going to happen if she stays here?" he snapped at her, and he was more than surprised to hear the sob that shook her entire body. Immediately, he wanted to take back everything he said. He hadn't meant to make her cry. He hadn't meant to hurt her. "Bones," he whispered as he reached out to touch her hand and for a brief moment she let him.

"Mrs. Stone won't pay the money and neither will insurance…" she admitted.

"Bones, you..."

"I have the money," she snapped. "I have the money and Mrs. Stone won't take it. She's _letting_ Kate die."

Booth frowned. One of the police men outside had mentioned this and they had also mentioned _why_ they wouldn't take it. Maybe they had misunderstood. "Did you tell them? I'm sure they'll understand…"

At that, she sharply pulled away from his touch and quickly replaced the gun against her head. "If they understood then neither of us would be here right now."

Sighing, he glanced at Kate. "Dr. Marrow said she'll die with or without the surgery, Bones."

Brennan didn't deny it.

* * *

**Yes. That part about the stars was from my other story, "A Shooting Star" which I probably will just leave at a oneshot btw. Don't hate me for it, I just don't have any idea on how to write it without it sounding stupid. Someone else can continue that story if they want. I really don't care. **

**Now as for this story, ****Please tell me what you thought. **


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